Editor’s Note: While SimpliFlying’s aviation marketing thought leadership goes far and wide, we know there is more great content beyond our borders. SimpliRecap is a weekly feature that ensures that our readers don’t miss the latest in airline and airport marketing. This week’s selection is from the world of airport marketing. Find our previous editions here.

LAX’s Stellar Social Media Response to the Shooting Incident

Alvarado was not only responsible for sending more than 200 tweets Friday that included the latest news updates, retweets of airlines’ flight changes, and responses to concerned flyers. She also sent emails to LAX’s press list, answered phone calls from media outlets including Skift, and was in constant contact with on-the-ground law enforcement that kept her and the public in the loop.

Great story on Katherine Alvarado, LAX’s social media champion. Read more at Skift.

The CCO of London City Airport talks about a Connected Airport Experience

Can you give me some key examples of how you are creating a ‘smart city’ in the microcosm of the airport?

Once a passenger ‘plugs into’ the airport, via a smartphone or other Wi-Fi-enabled device, the airport delivers an augmented-reality environment, which includes flight information and retail/leisure opportunity.

On entering the airport, the passenger will receive a welcome message and preliminary information about their flight – and an instruction to check in and move to security. The sequence of instructions is based on the time available to the passenger to reach the departure gate in time to board the aircraft.

SITA says the future of airports is more tech-savvy and connected

By 2016, approximately 95% of airports plan to invest in mobile apps to provide status information on flights and to help passengers navigate through the airport. 75% will offer passenger services via social media by 2016, up from 56% today. More than 80% of airports plan to provide self-tagging and bag drop services by 2016.

Finnair and Helsinki Airport return with the third edition of Quality Hunters

This year’s Quality Hunters program took a different approach than the previous editions and focused on group participation including brainstorming and idea generation. The Quality Hunters focus groups involve participants who genuinely care about the airline passenger experience, either as a passenger or a professional, and these Quality Hunters – active members in the Quality Hunters community engaging with the airline on Twitter or via their website – are invited by Finnair to come together over a weekend to create new ideas that improve the passenger experience.

A great initiative that deserves to return year after year. Read more at airlinetrends.com.

How Warsaw Chopin Airport is thinking differently about Airport Marketing

In recent years, digital marketing has had a real impact due to its accountability and the ability to measure campaign performance. This led to a rapid cut in traditional marketing budgets. Airports are beginning to realise that ‘digital’ is not just another channel. It requires a new approach to marketing and a new understanding of customer behaviour.
While we are seeing a revival of traditional methods to support social and online marketing initiatives, we’re also seeing airports investing more in technology and in their social presence. Web analytics software, CRM, content management systems, email platforms and social media monitoring tools are areas of continued investment.

An interview conducted by our VP of Airports, David McMullen. Read the complete interview at Airport World.

Shubhodeep Pal

Shubhodeep Pal is the Vice President, Products and Operations at SimpliFlying. He has been leading Research, Product Development, Marketing and Business Development since December 2010 from the headquarters in Singapore.
He has spoken at airline conferences and delivered training workshops for senior aviation executives. He has also appeared on television interviews and been quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal. His writings have appeared extensively on SimpliFlying and respected industry outlets such as Airlinetrends, Tnooz, Airport World, Low Cost and Regional Airline Business Magazine and Loyalty360. In a previous role, he also conducted a workshop on social media at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore.
He speaks three languages fluently, and is also a published poet and amateur film critic.
He can be reached at shubhodeep@simpliflying.com.